Stacking receptacle



Aug. 29, 1967 w. K. HARE ETAL STACKING RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 12, 1964 0. VI 5 E mMUH/N AM em mHAl T v H T NK. A I Bi DT7 mLR BA LN%% o W D R Y W. K. HARE ETAL ST-ACKING RECEPTACLE Aug. 29, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 12, 1964 Dn/l.

N a S. N R mR O zT EHAI 2T W H M A m E BA L w/w O WDR I VI B Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,466 STACKING RECEPTACLE Wilbert K. Hare, Chicago, Donald B. Hamilton, Glenview, and Robert J. Miller, Palos Heights, Ill., assignors to American Home Products Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 410,668 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container of Wire rod construction having end wall sections of uniform height with means for stacking with like containers and having a central section of uniform lesser height to permit nesting with a like second container when in centered criss-cross relation to said second container.

This invention relates to receptacles and has particular reference to receptacles which may be stacked vertically without impairing the load carrying capacity of said receptacles while in such stacked relation.

This invention also contemplates a receptacle which provides access to the interior thereof while in such stacked relation as to enable a third like receptacle to occupy a position in criss-cross interleaved relation to a first and second like receptacle while the latter are in stacked relation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consists in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a pair of receptacles according to this invention as they appear when in stacked relation.

FIG. 5 is a similar view illustrating a receptacle in criss-cross relation to an underlying receptacle.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the manner in which receptacles embodying the present invention are adapted to occupy a position in criss-cross interleaved relation to a pair of similar receptacles in stacked relation.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, a receptacle R representing an embodiment of the present invention is shown as having a bottom wall defined by a series of spaced apart parallel wires 10 and a series of wires 11 arranged along spaced apart parallel lines in criss-cross relation to wires 10 within the borders of an endless generally rectangular open framework of rodlike construction so as to provide a pair of side frame members 12 in parallel relation to wires 10 and a pair of end frame members 13 in parallel relation to wires 11. The end frame members 13 provide an upper rim to which uniformly dimensioned upturned ends 14 of the wires 10 have welded'connection. The side frame members 12 are offset downwardly to define a depressed or lower rim portion having a dimension measured lengthwise of the distance between said end frame members 13 slightly greater than the dimension of the receptacle measured lengthwise of the distance between said lower rim portions and centrally of the distance between said end frame members 13. Upper rim portions 12a are defined by end portions of the frame members 12 flanking said lower rim portion 12 to occupy positions in horizontal alignment with the end frame members 13 while upwardly extending strut portions 1212 are defined by the frame members 12 at the junction between each lower rim portion 12 and the upper rim portions 12a in flanking relation thereto. Opposite ends of bottom wall wires 11 within the area bordered by the lower rim portions of the side frame members 12 are welded to the underside of said lower rim portions 12 while uniformly dimensioned upturned extensions 15 of the bottom wall wire 11 within the area bordered by the upper rim portions 12a of the side frame members are welded to the outer surface of rim portions 12a. The lower limits of the receptacle are defined by a sub-frame of endless generally rectangular outline so as to provide opposed side members 16 secured in underlying relation to the bottom wall wires 11 along lines in inwardly offset parallel relation to an upright plane containing the upper rim portions 12a of the side frame members 12 and the upturned extensions 15 of the bottom wall wires 11 connected thereto, and to provide opposed end members 17 in horizontally aligned relation to said side members 16 which are secured in underlying relation to the bottom wall wires 10 in inwardly offset parallel relation to an upright plane containing the end frame members 13 and the upturned end portions 14 0f the end wires 10 connected to said members 13. The side members 16 of the sub-frame accordingly occupy positions at such lesser distance apart than the distance between the side frame members 12 while the end members 17 of the sub-frame are spaced apart at such lesser distance than the distance between the end frame members 13 as to allow said sub-frame of the receptacle to be positioned within the confines of the end frame members 13 and the rim portions 12a of a like receptacle subjacent thereto when said receptacles are in vertically aligned relation and downwardly facing surfaces of the upper receptacle outside the confines of the sub-frame member of said upper receptacle have vertically aligned downward engagement with the end frame members 13 and rim portions 12a of the lower receptacle as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. While the upper and lower recptacles are thus in stacked relation, the sub-frame of the upper receptacle is so embraced by the end frame members 13 and rim portions 12a of the lower receptacle as to control relative horizontal movement of the receptacles. The maximum vertical dimension of the receptacle thus established by the end frame members 13 and rim portions 12a and the sub-frame underlying the area of the receptacle bordered by such end frame members and said rim portions 12a is sufiiciently greater than the vertical dimension of the receptacle established by the lower rim portions 12 and the sub-frame underlying the area of the receptacle bordered by said central lower rim portions 12 as to permit the corresponding central portion of a third like receptacle bordered by said lower rim portions 12 of the third like receptacle to occupy an interleaved position in relation to said central portions of the upper and lower receptacles of a stacked receptacle arrangement as in FIG. 6.

It will be noted from FIGS. 6 and 7 that the receptacle R while occupying such interleaved position in relation to the central portions of an underlying receptacle R projects above the upper limits of said underlying receptacle. As a result the struts 12b of the interleaved receptacle R are in such confronting relation to the lower rim 12 of the upper receptacle R as to prevent shifting of the interleaved unit relative to said stacked receptacles in a path lengthwise of the frame members 12 of said interleaved unit. Likewise the struts 12b of the lower receptacle are in such confronting relation to the rim portions 12 of the interleave-d unit as to prevent movement of the latter relative to said stacked receptacles in a path lengthwise of the frame members 12 of the stacked units.

The present invention accordingly provides a receptacle of such construction and design as to provide for the stacking of said receptacle with like receptacles as a builtup unit while permitting access to the central area of said receptacle from opposite sides thereof to such extent that a like receptacle may occupy a criss-cross interleaved position in relation to a pair of stacked receptacles.

What is claimed is:

1. An upwardly open receptacle having a bottom wall, a framework defining the borders of said bottom wall including a pair of spaced apart parallel side frame members, said receptacle having a central section fully occupied by an area of the bottom wall within the confines of said side frame members and extending lengthwise of said side frame members a distance substantially matching the distance between said side frame members, and having like end sections flanking said central section which form a continuation of the area of the bottom wall of the central section, means defining upright walls along the borders of said bottom wall except for said central section, said upright walls providing seats with which a second like receptacle has downward engagement when said framework of each receptacle is in vertical alignment with the framework of the other receptacle to establish a stacked relationship of said upper and lower receptacles, said central section of said receptacle having a vertical dimension sufiiciently less than the vertical dimension of said end sections of the receptacle to allow the central section of a third like receptacle to occupy a position in interleaved relation to the corresponding central section of said first and second receptacles while the latter are in stacked relation, said walls having terminal portions which serve to fix the position of the tihrd receptacle lengthwise of the side frame members of the first receptacle and to fix the position of the third receptacle lengthwise of the distance between the side frame members of the second receptacle, While said first and second receptacles are in said stacked relation and said third receptacle is in said interleaved position.

2. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said upright walls have upper rim portions thereof defined by a pair of end frame members and end portions of said side frame members and upper rim portions of the receptacle along said central section are defined by intermediate portions of said side frame members spanning the distance between said end portions.

3. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said upright walls have upper rim portions thereof defined by a pair of end frame members and end portions of said side frame members and upper rim portions of the receptacle along said central section are defined by intermediate portions of said side frame members spanning the distance between said end portions and said intermediate portions of said side frame members are joined to said end portions by an upwardly extending strut.

4. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said side frame members have end portions forming upwardly offset extensions of the portions of said side frame members along the area of said central bottom section, and said upright walls have upper rim portions thereof defined by said end portions of said side frame members as well as a pair of end frame members to which said side frame members are joined via said end portions of said side frame members.

5. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said bottom wall is defined by a first series of wire rods arranged in spaced apart parallel relation lengthwise of said side frame members and a second series of wire rods arranged in spaced apart parallel relation along lines intersecting said first series of rods, and said means defining said upright walls include upwardly bent end portions of said first series of rods and upwardly bent end portions of said second series of rods within the confines of said end sections of said bottom Wall.

6. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said bottom wall is defined by a first series of wire rods arranged in spaced apart parallel relation lengthwise of said side frame members and a second series of wire rods arranged in spaced apart parallel relation along lines intersecting said first series of rods, and said means defining said upright walls include upwardly bent end portions of said first series of rods and upwardly bent end portions of said second series of rods within the confines of said end sections of said bottom wall, and said upright walls have upper rim portions thereof defined by end portions of said side frame members to which said upwardly bent end portions of said second series of rods within the confines of said end sections of said bottom wall are secured and by end frame members to which said upwardly bent end portions of said first series of rods are secured.

7. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said side frame members along the boundaries of said central section occupy a first common horizontal plane, and said upper limits of said side walls occupy a second common horizontal plane.

8. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein said framework includes a pair of end frame members to which said side frame members are integrally joined via end portions of said side frame members opposite said end sections of said bottom wall.

9. A receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the lower limits of said receptacle include a framework in underlying relation to said bottom wall and cooperating with the upright walls of a subjacent like receptacle in stacked relation thereto to prevent relative horizontal movement of said stacked receptacles.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,002,900 2/1962 Averill 211-126 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,290,687 3/1962 France.

950,454 2/ 1964 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. GEORGE E. LOWRANCE, Examiner. 

1. AN UPWARDLY OPEN RECEPTACLE HAVING A BOTTOM WALL, A FRAMEWORK DEFINING THE BORDERS OF SAID BOTTOM WALL INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED APART PARALLEL SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A CENTRAL SECTION FULLY OCCUPIED BY AN AREA OF THE BOTTOM WALL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY MATCHING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SIDE FRAME MEMBERS, AND HAVING LIKE END SECTIONS FLANKING SAID CENTRAL SECTION WHICH FORM A CONTINUATION OF THE AREA OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE CENTRAL SECTION, MEANS DEFINING UPRIGHT WALLS ALONG THE BORDERS OF SAID BOTTOM WALL EXCEPT FOR SAID CENTRAL SECTION, SAID UPRIGHT WALLS PROVIDING SEATS WITH WHICH A SECTION, SAID CEPACLE HAS DOWNWARD ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID FRAMEWORK OF EACH RECEPTACLE IS IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE FRAMEWORK OF THE OTHER RECEPTACLE TO ESTABLISH A STACKED RELATIONSHIP OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER RECEPTACLES, SAID CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A VERTICAL DIMENSION SUFFICIENTLY LESS THAN THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF SAID END SECTIONS OF THE RECEPTACLE TO ALLOW THE CENTRAL SECTION OF A THRID LIKE RECEPTACLE TO OCCUPY A POSITION IN INTERLEAVED RELATION TO THE CORRESPONDING CENTRAL SECTION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECEPTACLES WHILE THE LATTER ARE IN STACKED RELATION, SAID WALLS HAVING TERMINAL PORTIONS WHICH SERVE TO FIX THE POSITION OF THE THIRD RECEPTACLE LENGTHWISE OF THE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS OF THE FIRST RECEPTACLE AND TO FIX THE POSITION OF THE THIRD RECEPTACLE LENGTHWISE OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SIDE FRAME MEMBERS OF THE SECOND RECEPTACLE, WHILE SAID FIRST AND SECOND RECEPTACLES ARE IN SAID STACKED RELATION AND SAID THIRD RECEPTACLE IS IN SAID INTERLEAVED POSITION. 